I am new to certified coins, and I have a Morgan I would like to submit and a type 1 liberty gold dollar I would like graded. How does someone go about submitting? Who should I go through? How much does it cost? How long does it take? any info is appreciated!!

Hello! I am not a Morgan gal and there are those here who can give you a recommendation on which TPG to submit but I would like to give you some thoughts for your first submission.

We recently submitted 4 coins to PCGS for our first submission and while I felt they were on target for two of them, there were questions in my mind regarding one of them, which happened to be my favorite of the 4. It came back as authenticated but tooled. I can't even tell you how angry I was . I took this beautiful coin to several dealers I know as well as a coin show to ask where the tooling was. I could not find one person who could definitively identify the mystery mark or marks. The dealer I purchased it from offered a refund, I refused because I really love this little coin. It was that offer that calmed me down. I have always been a proponent of buy the coin and not the slab so if I had to do it all over again, I would still buy the coin. I will eventually resubmit it because I find the "Tooling" tattoo so offensive but I find I still enjoy looking at it all the same.

While the TPGs have extensive experience and resources to come up with their opinions, please remember they ARE opinions and your enjoyment of the coin is what is most important. Or if you are slabbing to help a sale, listen to the wonderful folks here who can tell you which one to use for which issue. Cheers!

Good advice Kelly; answers a couple of my questions also. For the one you got back as tooled, is there any explanation from PCGS as to what that means? Maybe not specific to what/where on your coin, but in general what 'tooled' implies?

What made me so mad is there was not an explanation as to where the tooling occurred. I tried to contact them to find out (I know, I know, my husband giggled as I hit submit) but all I received was a generic form email stating that they look at thousands of coins and could not say for sure - just that their system is so wonderful I should rely on it. (Sorry still a little bitter ).

It is a 3 cent silver so I thought it might be in the shield but none of the dealers I had look at it saw anything in the shield. A couple thought there might be a mark on the reverse but one interpreted it as a possible mark on the die. Like I said, I would buy it all over again so I think I made a good deal.

Tooling in silver Trimes is almost always in the shield; too little detail exists on the other face to be eligible for it. The shield wears almost instantly when it hits circulation. I don't blame you for being attached to the coin; they draw me the same way too.

It's my belief that PCGS, having been very publicly burned by coin doctors recently, has done a pendulum swing to the conservative side. Anything remotely questionable gets a Genuine "scarlet letter."

If you only have 2 coins and want to minimize your cost ANACS is your best bet. Go to their website (www.anacs.com) to read their FAQs and print a submission form. They are reputable and you don't have to join a club to make a submission.

If your coins are potentially high-value specimens it may be worth sending them to PCGS since coins in their holders tend to sell for the most. You need to join their club, with the minimum "silver" membership costing something like $50 a year. Their per-coin grading fee is higher than ANACS. Another option is to find a PCGS-authorized dealer and pay them to send the coins. That will likewise cost you since the dealer will likely charge you an additional service fee. A good dealer however may offer a useful opinion about your coins, before taking your money. Many coins are not worth submitting due to problems like cleaning, alterations, or damage that an inexperienced collector can overlook. The dealer may catch such issues and advise you not to waste your money.

How about posting images of the coins you want to send in? You'll get lots more opinions!

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